The Model S liftback has been in service for eleven years, the Model X SUV for eight, and now these two account for only 5% of Tesla electric car sales (66,705 cars last year). But the S and X models are still the most prestigious, powerful and expensive in the passenger range, so the company continues to modernize them. The last major update happened two years ago, and against that background, the current improvements seem modest. But still important.
The main thing is that on older models, a new generation of on-board electronics appeared under the general name Hardware 4. This architecture includes a more powerful Samsung Exynos processor, improved cameras (plus there are more of them) and a new Phoenix radar. It is under Hardware 4 that the long-awaited update (version 11) of the software for the FSD (Full Self-Driving) autopilot is sharpened, although it will also go to already released Teslas with the same electronics. However, while version 11 relies only on selected users, the full release is again postponed, and the FSD system itself still has Beta status.
As for other new things, the return of the usual round steering wheel is most significant. In 2021, a truncated steering wheel began to be installed on all S and X models, just foreshadowing the imminent appearance of autopilot. But the FSD system itself was delayed, and many customers were dissatisfied with such a governing body. In the tuning industry, many proposals have appeared for installing conventional steering wheels on Teslas. Now the company itself has offered this option: the steering wheel can be ordered instead of the steering wheel at no extra charge.
The most powerful Plaid versions have new, more heat-resistant brake pads. The Multi-Coat Red body color has been replaced by a deeper, darker Ultra Red, with a surcharge going up from $2,500 to $3,000. The basic (free) color remains white, for $ 1,500 black, blue and silver are still offered. Finally, the Tesla Model S liftback has a new glass roof that is thinner and lighter than the previous one, lets in (as stated) five times more light, and at the same time has the same level of protection from ultraviolet rays.
Tesla Model S
Well, the best part is that older Teslas have fallen in price. Model S liftbacks for $5,000 and Model X SUVs for $10,000. The basic twin-engine versions (679 hp) now cost $90,000 and $100,000 respectively in the US, while the three-engine Plaid modifications (1,034 hp) cost $110,000 each.
